Many patients know the frustration of rushing to a doctor's
appointment, then sitting in a waiting room as they watch the minutes
tick by. Maybe they make it straight to the exam room--rand then wait
there without so much as a magazine for distraction. But what if someone
popped in and offered them a cup of coffee? Or apologized for the wait,
said the doctor was on an emergency call, and offered them a pager so
they could take a stroll and get buzzed when it's time for their
appointment?

That's the kind of innovative customer service that Sloan
Program in Health Administration students, under the direction of
associate professor John Kuder, have helped introduce to the Department
of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC). The
partnership was formed in 2008 with a modest goal: putting some
hospitality back into the hospital.

"Hospitality isn't limited to a particular
industry," said Richard Paddy, WCMC neurological surgery department
administrator. "The health care setting is a place where it should
exist."

Paddy admits that it's hard to make major invasive procedures,
like brain surgery, "hospitable." But between a patient's
initial visit and an operation, there are myriad interactions with
clinicians and support staff; much can be done to make the journey as
pleasant as possible. Hence Paddy's efforts to set a "platinum
standard" for patient care with guidance from the College of Human
Ecology's Sloan Program and the hospitality gurus at Cornell's
School of Hotel Administration.

Weill Cornell doctors in neurological surgery typically see 5,000
new patients a year, of which about 2,000 are surgical cases. The
department has 11 surgeons, 10 "physician extenders"--such as
nurse practitioners and physician assistants--and 37 support staff.
Paddy said that patient feedback on customer service surveys in the past
was above average, but not ideal. Since they've introduced the
customer service program, however, those surveys are improving.

Kuder and four Sloan students produced a customer service manual
for support staff that outlines goals and performance standards. The
emphasis is on courtesy at all levels: handling patient phone calls,
doing admissions, sending email, and contacting clinicians.

"Our relationship with the Department of Neurological Surgery
has been part of Sloan's emphasis on giving our students both a
rigorous academic preparation and practical experience solving real
health care problems," Kuder said.

In 2009, Sloan graduate Colin Nash '10 spent a summer
improving the department's customer service program and collecting
data to create performance guidelines for clinicians. Much of his time
was dedicated to interviewing medical staff, with a focus on time
management, to discover causes of patient lag times in waiting and exam
rooms. More Sloan students have since carried forward Nash's work
through capstone projects and summer internships. Next up: a plan for a
"virtual department" that uses computer and communications
technology to meet patient needs.

It's not unusual for neurosurgeons to be called away for
emergencies that can derail schedules. To improve the patient
experience, the department now offers a "service recovery
kit," which might include a voucher for coffee in the cafeteria.
For patients whose wait is expected to be lengthy, staff offer a pager;
if patients opt to stay, there are games, crosswords, and Sudoku to keep
them entertained. "This is truly an innovative program," said
Deborah Als, the department's clinical practice manager.

Editor's Note: This article has been adapted from Weill
Cornell Medicine magazine.